Kalen DeBoer knows what he has signed up for at Alabama. Tuscaloosa is a place where mediocrity isn’t an option. It’s just ‘bring home a National Championship’ or ‘go home’ as their history suggests. Alabama fans won’t tolerate an HC who can’t bring National Championships for long. Now, add the pressure of matching the ‘greatest coach in college football’ to that. Will DeBoer prove himself worthy of the HC title at Crimson Tide with a National Championship? Even if DeBoer reached there, it won’t be too important in the legacy of Alabama Crimson Tide as much as it would be in a program like Texas A&M. J.D. Pickell explains why.

On3’s J.D. Pickell believes a National Championship from Kalen DeBoer won’t be as glorified as one from a head coach like Mike Elko would be. It has got nothing to do with DeBoer and Elko as coaches. DeBoer just has a two-year heads-up against Elko in terms of head coaching experience. To make it even more fair, both of them were recruited this off-season by their programs. It is all about the franchises they have joined. And for DeBoer, personally, Nick Saban’s records are the reason.

“Reason why I think Kalen DeBoer and the bar that is set so enormously high for him if he wins one national championship, Alabama fans could still say, ‘Well, you haven’t won one for us in three years. Is this the right guy?’,” Pickell said about DeBoer. During his 17 years at Alabama, Nick Saban has brought home 6 National Championship titles, the last one being in 2020.

Whereas for A&M, the last National Championship they brought home was back in 1939. The Aggies fan would be sold on Mike Elko if he could merely turn their losing record into a winning one. Whereas for Alabama, the bar is much higher at consistent National Championship wins. To match Saban in Tide fans’ eyes, he will need to build a legacy which will easily take years. Now the question remains, will DeBoer last that long at Alabama? Looking at the mindset DeBoer has formed, it seems like he might.

Kalen DeBoer knows where he stands

The Alabama head coach is aware of the expectation looming above him. “In all honesty, that’s what you come here for, right?” DeBoer answered when asked about National Championship expectations on the Next Round Live Show. DeBoer also acknowledged that he would not be the only one dealing with the pressure. The players would also have a fair share of it. “I’m always gonna remind the guys of this, this is why you came here,” he said of the situation.

DeBoer’s humbly confident words and steely determination has been a constant in all his appearances. In an interview with ESPN’s Chirs Low, DeBoer reflected a similar drive. “I look at it as a privilege, and not pressure, to be able to come to a place like this. I understand that there are expectations that are extremely high,” DeBoer said, embracing the new era at Tuscaloosa. Now all that is left for him to do is to show an equal promise with his performance this season.